Mission brochures

Biology

Seedling Growth

Most plants need light to grow but plants on the International Space Station adapt to living with 16 sunrises and sunsets each day under artificial light. Finding alternatives to sunlight is important because more countries rely on greenhouses for fresh produce.

This experiment analysed how Arabidopsis Thaliana reacts to red light and microgravity. Arabidopsis Thalianais is a common plant found all over Europe, Asia and Africa. It was the first plant to have its entire DNA sequenced so biologists know this species well. Better understanding of this plant has increased our knowledge of plants in general. This experiment in space will further help to understand how the plant reacts to light and gravity.